The effects of language instruction on math development

How does language shape mathematical development? In this article, we consider this question by reviewing findings from cross‐sectional and longitudinal research. In this literature, we find that differences in the structures of languages and individual variations in language ability are associated...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inChild development perspectives Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 69 - 75
Main Authors Espinas, Daniel R., Fuchs, Lynn S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Wiley 01.06.2022
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects
Attribution Theory
Case Studies
Child Development
Correlation
Individual Differences
intervention
language
Language Acquisition
Language Aptitude
Language instruction
Language Skills
Language variation
Learning outcomes
Longitudinal Studies
mathematics
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics Skills
Outcomes of Education
Teaching
intervention
mathematics
language
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:How does language shape mathematical development? In this article, we consider this question by reviewing findings from cross‐sectional and longitudinal research. In this literature, we find that differences in the structures of languages and individual variations in language ability are associated with mathematical performance in both obvious and unexpected ways. We then consider the causal nature of these relations, with a focus on experimental studies that have tested the effects of language instruction on mathematical outcomes. Findings from this work show that certain forms of language instruction meaningfully improve performance in several mathematical domains, providing strong evidence of a linguistic pathway in mathematical development. However, much additional research is needed to understand how language instruction may be integrated optimally into math education. We conclude with recommendations for research.
Bibliography:Funding information
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Award Numbers 2 P20 HD075443 and R01 HD097772) in the National Institutes of Health to Vanderbilt University. Daniel Espinas was supported in part by the Office of Special Education Programs (Grant H325D180086) in the U.S. Department of Education to Vanderbilt University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the
Some of the research described in this article was supported by the
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Special Education Programs, or the U.S. Department of Education.
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1750-8592
1750-8606
DOI:10.1111/cdep.12444